


Mom Knows Best

by tigerlady (shetiger)



Category: Intelligence (US TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 12:50:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2773601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetiger/pseuds/tigerlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"Now this is a sight," Mary said. "You two look like you've been doing that for years."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"Mooom," Gabriel moaned. </i>
</p><p> <i>"What?" Mary said, exactly like she had every time before that Gabriel had protested her observations about the two of them. "How is that a bad thing? I'm just saying you work well together."</i></p><p> <br/>After dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mom Knows Best

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skieswideopen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skieswideopen/gifts).



"Careful now," Gabriel said as he dropped a handful of sudsy utensils into her side of the double sink. "There's a couple of knives in that bunch."

The warning was sincerely meant, and rather sweet for that—but Riley had been rolling her eyes at the condescension that just naturally seemed to fall out of Gabriel Vaughn's mouth since the moment they'd met, and she wasn't about to drop the habit now. Instead, she gave into the temptation to show off, plucking one of the steak knives out the mess of forks and spoons.

"I think I'm good," she said, twirling it between her fingers.

Gabriel just snorted. He turned back to his side of the sink, smile once again creeping across his face. He'd been like that all through dinner, ever since he had **the talk** with his mom, and Riley was just as unable to keep her own smile in check as she had been every time before. And so what if she was? It was good to see him happy. To see him finally finding some sort of peace with himself, with the chip, especially after what he'd been through this past week.

"I'm sure you can spin this, too, but I've only got the one set," Gabriel said as he set one of the dinner plates down in front of her. His hand, warm and softened by the dishwater, brushed against her arm as he let go. Riley immediately flipped on the water to rinse, hoping he'd missed the way she'd chased after his touch, just for a second, before she caught herself. "Let's not take chances tonight."

"Hah, hah," she said, which might not have been the pinnacle of wit, but it was good enough to earn a smirk from Gabriel and get his eyes off of her and back on his own task. Riley shut off the water, then picked up the dish towel and put a little bit more effort into polishing the plate dry than the stoneware strictly needed.

She wasn't a person who got flustered easily. When your job was literally throwing yourself in front of a bullet for somebody else, it wasn't that hard to take whatever else came your way without reacting much, be it cutting words from a superior or the kind of touch that sent a shiver up her spine. Tonight, though. 

Tonight, she'd been off her game.

Mary's presence was part of it. Despite her gruff manner, she obviously adored Gabriel, and the emotion wasn't a one-way street. Gabriel had been more at ease this evening than Riley had ever seen him—even when he was blushing due to his mother's assumptions about the two of them.

It was more than that, though. More than the way Riley's own protestations made her feel increasingly like a liar as the night wore on. More than the way she found Gabriel's shy denials adorable, or the way she couldn't help wondering why he was blushing so much.

She just couldn't shut out how close she'd come to losing him a few days ago. Her shoulder still ached from the strain of dragging him to safety after he'd been shot; only this morning had she been able to dig the last speck of dried blood out from under her thumbnail. If that much evidence clung to her own body, he shouldn't even be standing right now. She shouldn't be _letting_ him stand right now, but Gabriel was a stubborn bastard, and she'd learned to pick her battles long ago. 

"I know I can really zone out when I cyber-render, but I'd forgotten how that's not really a chip-thing."

"What?" Riley blinked. The plate in her hand was as dry as it was going to get, and there were two soapy ones waiting in her side of the sink. "Sorry. I guess I got lost in thought."

"I gathered," Gabriel said, dry as desert sand. "Can I offer you a penny?"

Riley snorted. "A penny? Really? I know your pay grade, buddy. You wanna hear my thoughts, you better cough up a little more than that."

"And here I thought I was being generous," Gabriel said as he tucked a glass into the sink. "After all, most of the time you make sure I know exactly what you're thinking, free of charge."

"You. Are. A butthead," Riley said through a wide, clenched-teeth smile, fluttering her eyelashes at him for the full effect. 

Gabriel laughed lightly. "See? That's what I'm talking about."

The floorboard creaked behind them. Riley spun around. But all was as it was supposed to be, just Mary Vaughn approaching in her bathrobe and bare feet.

"Now this is a sight," Mary said. "You two look like you've been doing that for years."

" _Mooom,_ " Gabriel moaned. 

"What?" Mary said, exactly like she had every time before that Gabriel had protested her _observations_ about the two of them. "How is that a bad thing? I'm just saying you work well together."

Gabriel let out a little sigh, obviously giving up on the idea of arguing with her logic. "Did you find everything you need, Mom?"

"Good enough," she said. "I'm going to turn in now. These old bones don't handle the excitement the way they used to. And don't you say anything about my bad habits, son, because it's nothing I don't already know."

Gabriel held up his soapy hands in clear surrender. "I wasn't going to."

"Hmmph." Mary's lips quirked up at the corners, just like Gabriel's did when he was trying to hide his amusement. "Are you sure you don't want me to take the couch? It's just me, after all. I don't need to kick you and your—"

"Mom!" Gabriel's cheeks burned bright red this time, rather than the soft pink that had been gracing them all evening. The uniqueness of the sight was almost enough to distract Riley from the flames climbing her own cheeks. "I'll be just fine on the couch. By _myself_. So, just, go to bed, will ya?"

Mary snorted, then aimed a pointed eyebrow at Riley. "Such a nice, polite boy I raised."

"I'm sure the apple didn't fall far from the tree," Riley said, smiling to gentle her cheekiness. She didn't really know Mary well enough for the same kind of teasing jibes as she regularly traded with Gabriel, but Mary certainly wasn't holding herself back for Riley's benefit.

"And this tree knows when she's not wanted." She patted Riley on the shoulder, then leaned in towards Gabriel, who pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead. "Good night. And try not to get up to anything that'll rip those stitches."

"Mom!"

"I meant fighting, but I know where your mind's at, young man." She winked at Riley, then turned and shuffled off to Gabriel's bedroom.

Gabriel cocked his head, eyebrows drawing together, as a raspy, hacking cackle made its way through the closed bedroom door.

"Is she _laughing_?"

Gabriel shrugged. "That, or coughing up a lung. Serves her right if she does."

Riley snapped a dish towel against his shoulder. "That's not very nice."

"What? You were here," Gabriel said as he turned back to the dishwater. "Tell me she didn't make you uncomfortable with the way she carried on all night."

"Oh, I don't know," she said as he passed her a skillet. "It was almost worth it to see you blush."

"I do not blush," he said, but the tips of his ears were a lovely pink yet again.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Riley smirked. "Which, according to your mother—"

"Okay! We're done, here." Gabriel pulled the plug on the sink, then tugged the dish towel out of her hands to dry his own. "I think it's time for another beer."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "You think that's a good idea on your pain medication?"

"Well, I was going to invite you to join me, but if you'd prefer to appoint yourself my babysitter, that's fine, too." 

"It's your liver," Riley said, grabbing two bottles out of the fridge and following him back over to his couch. 

They settled down on it, side-by-side once again, and twisted the caps off their bottles in near unison. Whatever else had come out of Mary Vaughn's mouth tonight, she'd hit the nail on the head when she'd said they worked well together. Riley had never felt as in sync with anyone as she did with Gabriel.

Not that she'd ever tell him that. He'd find some way to attribute it to the chip.

"It really doesn't bother you?" Gabriel asked.

She frowned, confused by his out-of-left-field question. "What, you disobeying your doctor's orders?"

Gabriel smiled, that eyelid dipping, eye creasing, dimpling smile of his. "Not what I meant."

"What, then?"

He shrugged. "What Mom kept implying tonight."

"Oh, that." She stared down at her beer bottle, trying to keep the heat out of her own cheeks. "After a while, it was pretty obvious that she was just jerking your chain."

"Yeah, that's her way of showing love." Gabriel cleared his throat. "You were quick enough to deny it at first, though. It really bothers you when people think we're together, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah."

"Wow. Really feeling the love, here." 

She punched him in the shoulder. _Lightly._

"Ow!" He rubbed at his shoulder like she'd let loose on a heavy punching bag. "Still recovering from a gunshot wound, over here."

"Don't be a baby," she said, rolling her eyes. "And don't make it about your ego.You know why it bothers me."

"Yeah, okay. But." Gabriel shrugged with his lips. "Seems to me dating ol' whatshisface wasn't exactly professional."

"I wasn't protecting _Griffin_ ," she growled.

Gabriel held up both hands, beer bottle dangling from his crooked index finger. "I wasn't criticizing you. Well. Maybe your taste." 

Riley glared. 

"Kidding! I'm just trying to figure out if it's something about me in particular that bothers you whenever the subject comes up, or if it's all about your reputation."

"I told you, it's not about you, Gabriel." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I told you how every female agent I know admires Lillian, right?"

Gabriel nodded.

"I know you think you get how tough it is for us, trying to make it in a so-called man's world, but you don't." She took a big swallow of beer. "It doesn't matter how good you are, you always have to be twice as good as a guy to get the same amount of respect they expect just for showing up to work. It doesn't matter how high you climb on the ladder, because there's always some guy who assumes you got there by sleeping your way to the top. Every damn day I have guys measuring me up in a glance, either fantasizing about me, or dismissing me, or both. And a good portion of those hate me for taking what they thinks is theirs by right."

Gabriel winced. "Riley, I--"

"It's not about _you,_ " she ground out again. "Lillian believes in me, and that's more than enough for me. But we both know how precarious her position is. There are always people questioning me, whether a 'little slip of a girl' like me can really protect a big, burly special forces guy like you. So obviously the reason I got the job is because I'm a honey trap, right?"

Gabriel opened his mouth, but shut it again without saying anything. Riley smiled at his restraint.

"Even if they think I can do the job, they think that because I'm a woman, I'll automatically fall for the first handsome face I get close to." She looked down again. "That reprimand about Griffin didn't help."

"Yeah, well, that's because your taste is abysmal."

"Shut up," she said, but she was laughing. "God, you really need to lay off about Griffin."

Gabriel's nose wrinkled. "Why? He's a douche."

"Because." She shoved her knee into his thigh, still grinning. "When you say shit like that, I get defensive, and when I get defensive I try to remember the things I liked about him. And I really don't need to be doing that."

Gabriel grimaced. "No, that you do not need to be doing. Ix-nay on the Riffin-gay, got it."

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I'm sorry you have to go through all that, Riley." Gabriel sighed. "I wish I could do something to change it."

"I know," she said quietly.

He hesitated. "You know my mom wasn't implying anything about your professionalism, right? She's just thinking like a mom. She wants me to be happy."

"I know that, too. That's why what she said didn't bother me that much." She cocked her head. "I, uh, figured it'd bother you a lot more, though."

"You mean beyond embarrassing the hell out of me?" Gabriel shrugged. "It bothers me that she upset you, but no. It's a compliment, right? That she thinks I'm smooth enough to land you."

Riley ignored the flutter in her gut. "I meant because of Amelia. I know you're still not over her."

"Ah." Gabriel rubbed the palm of his hand over his chin, his stubble rasping across his skin. "Right."

"Gabriel?"

He sighed, then made that funny little smile, the one that meant he was actually frowning. "I'll always love her. That's just the way I am."

"I know," Riley said softly. It was one of the things she respected the most about him, even those times when she'd wanted to shoot him herself because he just wouldn't accept just how dangerous Amelia was. "But…?"

"But Mom's right." He leaned forward, setting his beer bottle on the coffee table with a heavy thunk. He ruffled his hands through his hair, then sighed and sat back again. "I guess I did most of my grieving years ago, even though I didn't want to admit it at the time. The hard thing to let go of has been all the questions."

Riley set her beer down, as well. "You mean why she did what she did."

Gabriel nodded. "Was it some op gone bad? Did somebody betray her? Was she playing a long game nobody knew about? If she really did turn, then why?"

Riley held her tongue, and after a moment he took a deep breath, the kind that looked like it hurt going in.

"Did I do something wrong?" he continued. "Did she ever love me at all?"

Riley gripped his forearm, tightly enough that he was forced to look up, forced to pull his focus out of whatever pit had grabbed him. 

"She did love you," Riley said. "I saw the look in her eyes, Gabriel. She loved you so much that she would have sacrificed her mission to save you, if she could have. All she cared about at the end was knowing that you made it out safe."

His eyes flicked from side to side, studying her own eyes, studying her sincerity. He finally nodded and looked away.

"I think so, too," he said. "Which makes all the other questions harder. But." He shook his head, then smiled, soft and not nearly as sad as Riley would have expected.

"But?"

He snorted, one side of his mouth lifting further. "But I go days now without thinking about those questions. Part of me just doesn't care about all of her crap anymore." He cocked his head to the side. "Does that make me a terrible person?"

"No," Riley said, staring him down. His eyes were so pale, like she could see all the way through them to his heart. No microchip anywhere to be found. "No, it means you're healing. It means you're moving on with your life."

"Yeah," he said, gaze dropping towards her lips. "Yeah, I am."

Riley felt her own lips part, a desperate bid for more air. His tongue flicked out, wetting his lower lip—and then he snapped his head to the side, breaking their connection.

"I mean," he said, clearing his throat. "That's why I'm okay with my mom thinking...what she thinks. I have moved on from Amelia. Doesn't mean I like her or anyone else making you feel uncomfortable."

She snorted.

"What?" he asked, forehead wrinkling.

"It just occurred to me that the only one who's actually had the balls to come out and accuse me of being unprofessional to my face—was Weatherly."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "Well, then," he said, lips turning up. "You know that it's all a bunch of bullshit."

"Maybe." Just because Weatherly was a treasonous, murderous asshole, didn't mean he was the only one who thought that way. Still. "I guess we know which one of us was professional enough to get the job done."

"That we do," Gabriel said, grinning at her. "Thank you for that, by the way."

"Yeah, well, it turns out I'm kind of attached to your ass." Her eyes widened as Gabriel's lit up. "Oh, God. That did not come out right."

"I'll let you off the hook this once." Gabriel's smirk softened after a moment. "You know Lillian doesn't care, right? Hell, she'd probably be pleased if we were together, just because then you'd be even more invested in keeping me safe."

"I don't think that's possible," Riley said, then looked away, because wow, they were laying it all out tonight. She cleared her throat. "Besides, what makes you think Lillian would be okay with your end of things? I'm pretty sure she wants to avoid another Amelia situation."

Gabriel shook his head. "Never gonna happen. Unless you're telling me you're planning on betraying your country some day."

"I already did that, remember? Or did you conveniently forget about the part where I stole a car and went on the run with you?"

" _With_ me," Gabriel said, and God, how were his eyes so beautiful? "Your loyalty never wavered."

Her breath caught. Somehow, they'd managed to shift closer together over the course of their conversation. Gabriel's whole side was pressed up against hers, burning hot. They were so close that whenever she looked at him, she actually had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. "Gabriel, what are we doing?"

His eyes flicked down to her lips before he swallowed visibly and met her gaze again. "At this point, I'd say that's entirely up to you."

All she'd have to do was lean forward and their lips would touch. And oh, she wanted to. Her nipples had gone tight; her thighs ached from holding back the urge to shift her pelvis. If he were any other guy, she'd go for it, she'd just swing her leg up and over his and grind down against him to sate that unbearable heat.

If he were any other guy, she wouldn't want him this much.

"That's not a good enough answer," she said, her voice husky to the point of scratchiness. "You have to tell me what's going on with you. I can't take the chance on throwing away my career if you just want a one night stand."

"Well." His own voice was little more than a whisper, but still enough to send a shiver up her spine. "Let's just say that my mom has always been able to look right through my bullshit to figure out what's really going on with me."

"Smart mom."

"Very." He nodded. "Which is why I should have been straight with her from the start. She wouldn't have teased me so much if I'd just come out and told her I've fallen in love with you." 

Riley gasped.

Gabriel smiled tightly, then eased back a little, just enough to give her some breathing room. "But I know it's not so easy for you, even if you, well, feel the way I do. So tell me to shut up and we'll forget this conversation ever happened, okay?"

"Gabriel?"

"Riley?" His eyes were open and vulnerable, waiting for the words she should say, for the blow he obviously expected to come.

Fuck that.

She surged forward, pressing her mouth against his in a completely awkward, off-balance kiss. Gabriel pulled her into him, just as wild with need as she was. Their mouths bumped and rebounded, his teeth catching against her lip, until he finally brought his hand up, sinking it deep into her hair, and turned her head just the slightest. Gabriel groaned deep in his throat. They kissed each other with deep, needy tongues, straining for each other in a way she hadn't felt since she was a horny teen.

After a moment, they broke apart, but only so that Gabriel could slide into a deeper sprawl on the couch. Riley swung her leg over his thighs and settled herself into his lap. Even with the pain meds, he was already hard for her. The slightest bit of apprehension flashed through his eyes when he noticed that she'd noticed, so she kissed him again and ground down against his cock, making them both groan.

"Jesus fuck," he gasped out, not at all quietly, his eyes widening a second later..

Riley raised an eyebrow and started circling her hips. "Problem?"

"Mmm," he said, eyelids fluttering. "Everything's great, except for the fact that my mom is sleeping ten feet away."

"Seriously?" Riley grinned. "You're worried about your mom catching you making out with me? You just got done telling me you should have told her the truth."

"Hey, some things you never get old enough to handle with grace, and getting caught by your mom with a stiffie is one of them."

Riley chuckled, then leaned in to kiss him again. "I guess we'll have to make sure we're quiet, then."

"Not sure if that's possible with you," he said, chasing her mouth. "God, Riley. You drive me crazy."

"Good," she said, dropping her head down so she could nip at the tempting stretch of his neck, getting another loud groan out of him. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one losing it."

Gabriel's fingers clenched on her ass. God, she wanted him. But a second later she figured out he was pushing her away, not encouraging her to keep going.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I really can't do this with my mom in the next room."

Riley huffed out a sigh of frustration, but she eased back some, so her weight was more on his lower thighs than directly on his cock.

Gabriel dropped his head back against the couch. He was still as hard as rock under her, and Riley had to curl her fingers into his arms to remind herself to back off. All she wanted to do right now was keep grinding until one or both of them got off, but as much as she was amused by Gabriel's reaction to the thought of his mom catching them, she'd rather not experience Mary Vaughn's comments on her sex life, either.

Riley licked her lips. "We could…."

"What?" he asked, eyes popping open with an obvious desperation.

"We could go over to my apartment." Riley blushed a little. "My bed's big enough for two."

Gabriel's jaw dropped. For a second, his thighs tensed like he was ready to sweep both of them up and out the door. But then his gaze flitted towards the bedroom.

"God, damn it, you have no idea how much I want to say yes." He sighted, then shook his head. "But I can't leave her here alone. Not in _my_ apartment."

"Right," Riley said, because Mary would be a sitting duck for anyone—say, Mei Chen—who came looking for Gabriel. So much for being able to maintain her professionalism while letting herself being involved with Gabriel. "Of course. I shouldn't have suggested it."

"Hell, yes, you should have suggested it." Gabriel caught her by the back the neck and coaxed her mouth back down to his. His kisses were definitely going to be a problem, because they drove every thought out of her head except for the need to get him inside her. He gentled the kiss again, but kept her close, resting their foreheads together. "I hate myself for saying 'no.'"

"You'd hate yourself more if something happened to her."

"Yeah," he said with a slow, heavy sigh.

"Anyway, it's probably better that we don't do anything that'd strain your stitches."

Gabriel grinned, wide and wicked. "Why, Agent Neal. Are you implying that we'd be doing something strenuous in your apartment?"

"Shut up," Riley said. "Like you didn't know what I was inviting you over for."

His eyes gleamed. "Hey, I'll have you know I had nothing but pure intentions.". 

Riley had to kiss him again, despite the bullshit he was spewing; apparently she had a thing for smug bastards. His hands tightened on her ass, urging her back down to where she so desperately wanted to be. She broke the kiss, breathing hard, somehow remembering her control.

"Okay," she panted out. She pushed herself off his lap, and Gabriel let her go without protest. "I should really head back to my apartment. _Alone._ "

A soft smile crossed his lips, but all he did was catch at her hand, holding her fingers gently while his thumb stroked over the back. "Or you could stay here."

"Gabriel," she sighed. "Your mom, remember?"

"That's not what I meant," he said. "I just thought, maybe, if you wanted to, you could stay. I'd like to hold you, Riley."

Her stomach swooped, which was ridiculous.

"What?" he asked softly. "You get that this is about more than sex for me, right? I did mention the part where I'm in love with you."

Her throat sealed tight for a long second, but she nodded, hoping he got the message.

His soft, eye-creasing smile said he did.

Riley cleared her throat. "Please tell me your couch folds down, because otherwise I'm heading back to my place right now, no matter how much you sweet talk me."

Gabriel snorted. "It folds down. I can't guarantee it's the most comfortable bed ever, but it's a good couple steps up from the desert floor."

"Ringing endorsement, there."

"Hey, I'll throw some pillows and blankets on it, you'll never know the difference from a feather bed."

"I'm pretty sure it's not the pillows and blankets that'll make the difference," she said, leaning into his side. Gabriel's arms came up and around her, holding her close in the way she expected he would all night. 

END


End file.
